5 Crore Scholarships For Minority Students In Next Five Years: Union Minister

Union Minister for Minority Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said here today that various scholarships including Pre-matric, post-matric, merit-cum-means etc. will be provided to 5 crore minority students in the next five years, which will include 50 per cent girl students. This includes more than 10 lakh Begum Hazrat Mahal Girls Scholarship in the next five years for economically weaker sections.

The minister also announced that “Padho-Badho” awareness campaign will be launched across the country to encourage education especially among minority girls in those areas of the country where people don’t send their children to schools due to socio-economic reasons.

The campaign will be focused on girls. The campaign will launched in 60 minority concentrated districts of the country in the first phase.

Mr Naqvi said that free-coaching for Central and state administrative services, banking services, staff selection commission, railways and other various competitive services will be provided to economically weak minority — Muslim, Christian, Sikh, Jain, Buddhist, and Parsi– youths.

He further said that school dropout girls from Minority communities will be linked to education and employment through providing them “bridge courses” from reputed educational institutions of the country.

“Madrasa teachers across the country will be given training from various institutions in mainstream subjects such as Hindi, English, Maths, Science, Computer etc. so that they can impart mainstream education to the Madrasa students. This programme will be launched next month,” he added.

While chairing 112th Governing Body & 65th General Body meetings of Maulana Azad Education Foundation here today, the Minister said that the Government has proved to be a “Government of Iqbal (authority), Insaaf (justice) and Imaan (integrity)”.